Why Your Hair Color Should Go From "Mild to Wild"

Check out this interview with celebrity colorist Johnathan Gale from bellasugar.com!
There's just something about celebrity colorist Johnathan Gale from the Serge Normant at John Frieda Salon in LA. Sure, he's worked with an impressive group of stars like Keri Russell, Jennifer Garner, and Diane Keaton, but when all is said and done, he's down-to-earth cool. And these days, Johnathan's gone wild—literally. His "mild to wild" hair color philosophy is currently the most dynamic way to wear hair color.

BellaSugar: When you say "mild to wild," what exactly are you talking about?Johnathan Gale: I'm saying, "Let's really make a statement this year and go from mild to wild." What I'm doing with all my clients is this: I'm inviting them to review how they look in really organic ways . . . so my emphasis is on being bolder, brighter. Everything is more like, "turn up the dial," going from a five to a 10. Let's put the pedal to the ground. Things are going fast, anyway. Let's go faster.

BS: So are you talking more extreme hair color like Rihanna, or are you talking more along the lines of the ombré trend we're seeing?
JG: A little bit of both. But let's say that you've got brown hair with a little bit of auburn in it. I'm saying, "Really go red!" Let that hair really reflect red, especially in those Winter months when it's darker and you're inside more so that there's more vibrancy.

BS: Bolder color lasts longer. Can you explain why that's so?JG: Because it's such a heavier dye load. In the product, the molecules the reds especially are more compacted. It's like if you do a photo shoot and you shoot red, red's going to be the thing that shows up more than blue or any other color. It'll actually pull your attention to the red. Because it's so bright, it [richly-pigmented hair color] will take longer to wash out and fade.

BS: How do you keep that balance of making bold hair color beautiful, but not fake?JG: I love that question. When I did that Lady Gaga gray wig for her [for September's Vanity Fair cover], it looked like she'd worn that wig more than any wig she's had. It almost looks like her. When I put it on her, she was like, "I'm leaving this on. Glue it down." And she slept in it for, like, three days. But what's the difference between taking it too far? I think it's a combination of the confidence you have when you're wearing something that's bolder and what you're willing to risk. I won't ever do the wrong color on someone's hair. After 30 years, I pride myself on the fact that I can nail it.